Category: kids wondering

Everyone’s heard of farm to fork, the local food movement that brought farmers and consumers closer together, but we want to go one step further.

Farm to Your School!

Kuska Winasun Homestead is now offering a way for students, teachers, and parents to interact with a young pair of farmers and their livestock.

What exactly does a farm to school visit entail?

The Pig Package

Students will get to pet and scratch a friendly pot-bellied pig. These cute pigs are much smaller than standard pigs, and are sometimes kept as pets.

Pot Belly Piglets

$60 per hour (2 hour minimum)

The Poultry Package

This add-on gives students a chance to feed some friendly ducks and enjoy seeing how distinct the different varieties can be. They also get to compare the difference between a rooster and a hen, and hear the cockle-doodle-doo firsthand.

Some of our ducks, lining up to be fed

A flock of roosters!

+$25 per hour

What do you need to provide?

Nothing really, just an outside area somewhat out of the way where the event can take place. And of course, the children.

We recommend a minimum of 15-20 minutes per class, and in order to keep the animals calm, we like to limit the number of kids taking part to 20 at a time. You can schedule the visits however you like, but please keep these limits in mind.

What do we provide?

We will provide the animals and everything they need for comfort (cages, water, food etc.). We will also have some hand sanitizer available to keep all the animals healthy.

We will answer questions, tell stories, and direct the entire event.

Parents and teachers will also have the chance to purchase some of our farm products at a discounted price after the visit.

If you would like to schedule a visit, or have any questions, feel free to email us at ourochreway@gmail.com.

Look around you! Notice how many plants and animals you see everyday, no matter where you live!

My two dogs, napping

A maple tree, turning yellow in autumn

Take just a moment to think of some animals that you see everyday…

Take just a moment to think of some plants that you see everyday…

All of these plants and animals that you see need certain things to live. Let’s take a look at what these things might be, and let’s think about how an animal might need different things to live than a plant might need.

It’s pretty easy for a plant to get sun… Just plant it outside or place its pot near a sunny window.

But what about nutrients? What are these and how can plants get them?

Nutrients are kind of like the plant’s food. People get nutrients from the good things we eat, like vitamins and minerals. They are what keep us healthy. Nutrients that plants need come from lots of things, especially things that are breaking down, or rotting. But perhaps the easiest way to get nutrients that the plants need is to give them… Animal poop!

On a farm, people use animal poop (called manure) to give their plants nutrients. This is one way you can see that plants need animals to survive.

Now let’s think about what animals need to live.

All animals need food, water, shelter, and love.

Let’s look at chickens on a farm to see how animals need these things…

Chickens need food, which is how they get their nutrients. We feed our chickens grains with vitamins inside and sometimes our leftover vegetables and meat. They also love to catch and eat bugs!

Chicken food!

Chickens need water so that they do not get too hot from the sun or cold in winter. Water is important in an animal’s body because it helps their whole body work the right way!

Chicken’s drinking water!

Chickens need shelter so they do not get too cold, hot, or wet. Our chickens live in a little house that protects them from weather and animals that might want to come and eat them! Can you think of some animals that might try to make chickens their food?

Shelter for the chickens!

Also,animals all need love or companionship. Sometimes animals only need love from their mothers when they are babies but most animals need love and a group of friends to belong to their whole life. Chickens belong in their flock and they enjoy being a part of the group. Being a part of the group makes them feel happy and safe.

Chickens like to spend time with their flock, or group!

My dogs also love being a part of our family. Don’t you think people love being a part of a family, too?

My dogs snuggle together!

Now that we’ve talked about what plants and animals need to live, let’s compare and contrast what they need.

Compare means to look at how two things are the same and contrast means to look at how two things are different.